Passionate bedspread-maker revelling in success

Western Bureau:

At age 65, Edwina Farrier, a mother of five children, is self-employed and loving it, as her passion for making bedspreads and her willingness to work hard has landed her in a comfort zone, where her business is the source of her joy.

“As a teen, I used to sit and do sketches of dresses on paper. As I became an adult, I taught myself to sew curtains and sheets because I had access to a sewing machine,” said Farrier, in recounting her path to where she is today, a woman with no regrets for the path she has taken.

After she became a mother, Farrier got a perfect platform to fine-tune her sewing skills as she began sewing items for her children, which inadvertently served as a marketing tool for her.

“Upon becoming a single mother, I started sewing some little apron dresses for my daughters, then my friends liked what I was doing and encouraged me to even sew for their children,” said Farrier, who resides in St James. “Originally, I was driven to take up dressmaking as a career to make ends meet as a single mother… I am the sole breadwinner and this is my job, the only source of survival.”

Motivated by the positive reactions she was getting from persons who saw her handiwork, Farrier decided to launch herself fully into the craft, so she enrolled in the Human Employment and Resource Training/National Service Training Agency Trust (HEART/NSTA Trust), where she was able to further fine tune her skills while getting herself certified.

“I learned a lot of new ways to do some things easier,” said Farrier, who is now bubbling with even more confidence having completed her stint at the HEART/NSTA Trust. “My instructor helped to boost my confidence and my time with her was successful.”

With more than 40 years of experience , Farrier is now as highly motivated as ever. Despite her age, she is looking forward to many more years of productive work as she now considers herself a master at her craft.

“I am really enjoying what I am doing,” said Farrier. “I appreciate the comforts that come with being self-employed, especially since it helped me to take care of my family as the sole breadwinner.

Tashay East is a final-year student at Northern Caribbean University. She is pursuing communication studies.